


The (Im)Pertinent Question Here

by Eliyes



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-27
Updated: 2013-09-27
Packaged: 2017-12-27 18:33:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/982221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliyes/pseuds/Eliyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony accidentally answers Gibbs' phone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The (Im)Pertinent Question Here

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted on Livejournal February 19, 2010.

Five months, one week, and an odd number of days into working at NCIS found Tony DiNozzo at Gibbs's desk, reinstalling the senior agent's printer software. Gibbs knew he was doing it -- had even approved it, with an aggravated nod as he used Tony's computer to print off the report he needed to take up to the Director -- but other agents kept walking by and shooting Tony looks like he was taking his life in his hands.

It was a little unnerving.

Tony's standard reaction to being unnerved was to breezily balls it out, but in this case he was too busy hunching over the keyboard and muttering at the machine. Whoever had decided it was safe to let Leroy Jethro Gibbs have a computer would be among the first against the wall when the robots took over, that much was certain.

So absorbed was he in his task that Tony didn't realise his mistake until it was too late: the phone rang and he picked it up.

*

From the balcony that overlooked the bullpen, Gibbs saw DiNozzo's hand stutter mid-air as a horrified expression flashed across the young agent's face. Then DiNozzo completed the arc that brought the phone receiver to his head and smoothly said, "You've reached the desk of Agent Gibbs, he's unavailable at the moment, may I take a message?"

Gibbs ghosted noiselessly down the stairs.

"No, ma'am, not his secretary. I'm just the minion stuck fixing his computer." DiNozzo reached for a notepad, but his hand froze before it connected. His face went startled, then morphed into impressed, tinged with understanding. He laughed a little.

"If I tell him that, I'll lose my job, ma'am."

Gibbs came up to the desk, deliberately moving into DiNozzo's field of vision. He looked at the name on the caller display and grimaced slightly.

"Understood," DiNozzo said into the phone. He hung up, then met Gibbs' gaze with a look of amused curiosity in his eyes.

"You want me to write that message down? Because the only words that wouldn't be office inappropriate were 'the', 'that', and 'in his'."

Gibbs shook his head. DiNozzo nodded, then did something with the computer mouse. As the printer started up, he asked, "How many ex-wives do you _have_ , Boss?"


End file.
